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Know the Faith. Live the Faith. Share the Faith.Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:00:26 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2Know the Faith. Live the Faith. Share the Faith.New EvangelizersKnow the Faith. Live the Faith. Share the Faith.New Evangelizershttp://newevangelizers.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpghttp://newevangelizers.com
Golden Obediencehttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/22/golden-obedience/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/22/golden-obedience/#respondFri, 22 Sep 2017 11:00:26 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8901Make a Box out of acacia wood…. Cover it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it….Put the two stone tables inside the Box and put the lid on top of it. Exodus 25:...

]]>Make a Box out of acacia wood…. Cover it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it….Put the two stone tables inside the Box and put the lid on top of it. Exodus 25: 10-11; 21

When God led the Hebrew slaves out of bondage through the desert, he instructed Moses to build a container covered in pure gold, an ark to hold the covenant between God and his people. Where did the gold come from? The Hebrews’ former oppressors gave it to them when they left Egypt. (Exodus 12: 35-36)

St. Paul says we are temples of the Holy Spirit, people of the new covenant. Like the Hebrew slaves, what holds us captive or weighs us down can provide what we need to enhance our relationship with God. When we surrender the self-will that dominates us, along with the pain and fear it generates, they become precious gifts. Our burdens are transformed into blessings that enrich and deepen our connection to God.

When my mom was seriously ill, I desperately wanted her to get well. As I prayed for her recovery, doubt crept into my heart. What if my prayers weren’t answered? What if Mom’s physical recovery wasn’t God’s will for her? What would happen to her? What would happen to my faith? Could I still have faith?

If I wanted to trust God no matter what, I had to stop telling him what to do. Terrified of an uncertain outcome, I began praying that God wrap my mom in his love and hold her close to him. I prayed that his will for her be done—no matter what it was. That was a request I had the utmost faith God would grant.

As my prayers changed, my heart changed, too. Mom was so weak. Maybe she would have less suffering if God called her home. How did I know what was best for her? It cost me something more precious than gold to let go of what I wanted and trust God’s will. As acceptance and peace grew within my heart, I was able to be there for my mom in loving ways—ways that would have been impossible if I was absorbed in my own sorrow. Day by day, we were able to share much joy and consolation as she moved closer to going home to God.

God wants to free us from the bondage of our own self-will. He turns our burdens to gold as we release them to his care, follow his directions, and draw closer to him.

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/22/golden-obedience/feed/0For Ever and Everhttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/20/for-ever-and-ever/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/20/for-ever-and-ever/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 11:00:53 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8914I am sometimes shocked when I hear people say things like “I want to live forever!” The ones who have that to say are usually young, have no ailments and no real stresses in their life. But “forever”, wow! Times...

]]>I am sometimes shocked when I hear people say things like “I want to live forever!” The ones who have that to say are usually young, have no ailments and no real stresses in their life. But “forever”, wow! Times change, friends leave, money runs out, forever could turn out to be a very, very looooong and tedious time! In reality a figure of speech, I guess, but none the less, a kind of surprise!

Yet, in our current society, we have no lack of hidden and overt signs that point to a desire to be “eternal”. There is the beauty culture that will charge you any exorbitant amount for the “magic serum” that makes wrinkles disappear. We have anti-aging diets which will supposedly extend your life expectancy. There are exercise programs which claim to take years off of your well-worn body. If you have money there is the knife and we even have perfected removing and replacing “parts” of the body which wear out with age. Currently there are dating sites for those over sixty because sixty is the “new forty”! We aim at, pretend about and fantasize that we can actually control aging and make the clock move backwards. Yet we disrespect the elderly and hide them away where society really can’t see them.

We are pre-occupied with the concept of controlling “forever”. I don’t get it, but I suppose I could stretch my understanding of people who want the power to warp time into something that they define and direct. Mostly I find these to be people who have health, wealth and pleasant circumstances in their life. Makes me wonder if they would have the same wish if they were ill or alone or depressed. I digress. The obvious fact, though is the idea that those who express this grandiose wish are the ones who really don’t see farther than the end of their own noses!

However, if you have been paying attention to your life and faith maybe you already have something that the rich and famous long for. It’s a matter of perspective, the ability to see the big picture as opposed to the small picture. It has nothing to do with money, spas or diet. If you are Catholic, you already possess eternity! Not pie in the sky, not a maybe someday, but here and now, you possess and are participating in eternity along with all the Saints and believers who have gone before you! Your participation in eternity began the day you were born. God gifted it to you.

So we do not lose heart. … [W]e look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Our entire time on this planet is an exercise in living in two dimensions at the same time, the now and eternity. From the beginning the Church has taken up that mantle. You might even be surprised to know that the connection to that living of eternity goes farther back than you might imagine.

In the struggles of the early Church, Christians did their best to participate in this new life which included, most significantly, The Supper. Established by Jesus with his own two hands you might be surprised to find out that The “original” Supper is not much different than what you experience at any Mass. It seems that The Church has been offering us participation in eternity right from the beginning, without a pause and right up to today. The text that follows is from Saint Justin Martyr who was writing around 140 A.D.

Justin on the Eucharist, first from chapter 65, Administration of the Sacraments:

“Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands.

And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to ge’noito [so be it].they carry away a portion.

“And this food is called among us Eucharistia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins[ i.e. baptism], and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined.
For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” – (First Apology, 66)

So, in reality, from the very beginning, we are right in the middle of the practice of living forever! Does that give you a different perspective about who you are and the way that you are supposed to serve your generous God? He has put forever right in your hand!

…as though religion is just about this-worldly ethics, social justice, or psychological well-being. No, the Christian faith is about a journey beyond this world to the heavenly Jerusalem. Bishop Robert Barron – Gospel reflection – 5/9/2017

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/20/for-ever-and-ever/feed/0God Has Plans for Ushttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/19/god-plans-us-2/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/19/god-plans-us-2/#respondTue, 19 Sep 2017 11:00:06 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8915That the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:15) Recently I saw a post on Facebook. At first it angered me. Not that someone...

That the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)

Recently I saw a post on Facebook. At first it angered me. Not that someone posted it, but what the post was. For a passing moment I thought about blocking the poster. I have seen other posts by this person that have upset me in the past. Then I realized they are entitled to their own opinion even when it disagrees with mine, so I didn’t block or unfriend her. During the process of coming to this conclusion, I had time to contemplate her post and formulate my own answers to her post.

Her question (I don’t remember the exact words) was if God has plans for us, why not sit back and let the plans unfold? This wasn’t the point in the post that angered me, but this isn’t about what angered me, but about searching for my own answers to the question.

Many of us have asked this question. The poster used it for evidence that God doesn’t really exist, because we humans continue to follow our own paths.

Let’s put this in human perspective. How many times have plans been made and outcomes all but assured? Then someone who was part of the plan didn’t follow the plan. They chose to exercise their free-choice and go their own way. Now your ending is changed, delayed.

This is how our relationship with God is. He has plans for us, but because He gave us free choice—free will, we chose not to follow His path. Instead we go our own way, disrupting and changing His plans.

Why doesn’t God just force his plans through? Why does He tolerate human interference if He is all-powerful, all-knowing? Because in spite of all our human failings, our missteps, He is more than that…Benevolent comes to mind. He loves us. He waits for us to come to Him. He gives us numerous second chances. He is patient.

God wants to work with us and through us to achieve His plans. So again the question arises, why don’t we just sit back and let God have His way? As I previously mentioned; He wants to work with us and through us. He wants an active partnership with His children.

Humankind was not created to be slaves and fulfill a cruel taskmasters needs. Instead we have been created in God’s image to be active participants in the world He created for us. Notice, I said Active. He doesn’t want us to sit back and wait for His plans to unfold. Instead He looks to us to actively participate in the plan. Only when we prayerfully and full of faith embrace and participate in the plan will we find peace and satisfaction. When we go against His plan with our own or the world’s plan we only find discouragement and despair.

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/19/god-plans-us-2/feed/0Forgivenesshttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/17/forgiveness/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/17/forgiveness/#respondSun, 17 Sep 2017 11:00:13 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8907Sunday Readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 17. Just about everyone can recite the Lord’s Prayer from memory. That’s precisely the problem, though. We often rattle it off without really thinking about what we are saying. “Forgive...

Just about everyone can recite the Lord’s Prayer from memory. That’s precisely the problem, though. We often rattle it off without really thinking about what we are saying.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Whenever we pray this line, we are asking God to forgive us exactly in the same way as we forgive those who hurt us. In other words, if we are harboring unforgiveness in our hearts as we say this prayer, we are calling a curse down upon ourselves.

Let’s face it. We are all in desperate need of the mercy of God. But time and time again, the Word of God makes clear that the greatest block to his mercy is resentment. In the Old Testament, the book of Sirach (27:30-28:7) tells us how wrath and anger, cherished and held tight, are poisons that lead to spiritual death.

Jesus thinks this is so important that he includes a reminder of this lesson in the central prayer that he teaches to his disciples. And to drive the point home, he tells us the parable of the merciless servant, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (18:21-35). As we listen to the story, we are incensed at the arrogance and hard-heartedness of someone who is forgiven a huge debt yet immediately throttles the neighbor who owes him a fraction of the amount he himself once owed. Incensed, that is, until we realize the story is about us. For all of us who have ever nurtured a grudge are guilty of exactly the same thing.

Bringing up this issue is rather uncomfortable because we all have been hurt by others. Many have been hurt deeply. Think, for example, of the widows and orphans of September 11 and other acts of terrorism. Is it wrong to have feelings of outrage over such crimes? Does forgiveness mean that we excuse the culprit and leave ourselves wide open to further abuse?

Not at all. First of all, forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. It is rather unlikely that the Lord Jesus, in his sacred yet still human heart, had tender feelings of affection for those mocking him as his life blood was being drained out on the cross. But he made a decision, expressed in a prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 22).

In other words, there was no vindictiveness, no desire to retaliate and cause pain, suffering and destruction to those who delighted in causing him pain. Such desire for destructive vengeance is the kind of anger that is one of the seven deadly sins. Rather, Jesus prayed to the Father for their good even as they caused him harm.

Did Jesus ever experience anger against those who sought his life? Absolutely. Righteous anger is the appropriate response to injustice. It is meant to give us the emotional energy to confront that injustice and overcome it. Recall how livid Jesus was in the face of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, because it was blocking the access of others to his life-giving truth. But notice as well that he overturned the money-changer’s tables, not their lives.

Forgiveness does not mean being a doormat. It does not mean sitting passively by while an alcoholic or abusive family member destroys not only your life but the lives of others. But taking severe, even legal action does not require resentment and vindictiveness. Pope John Paul II did not request the release of the man who shot him. But note that he visited him in prison to offer him forgiveness and friendship. In so doing, stunned not only the assailant, but the whole world.

Marcellino D’Ambrosio (“Dr. Italy”) writes from Texas. Connect with him at dritaly.com or @DrItaly.

This is offered as a reflection upon the readings for the 24rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, liturgical cycle A (Sirach 27:30–28:7), Ps. 103, Ro 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35). It appears here with the permission of the author.

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/17/forgiveness/feed/0Sin takes away freedom, but God makes us freehttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/13/sin-takes-away-freedom-god-makes-us-free/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/13/sin-takes-away-freedom-god-makes-us-free/#respondWed, 13 Sep 2017 11:00:58 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8904Freedom: the choice to do or not to do, to be or not to be. God wants us to be free, even if that means we are free to choose wrongly; he much prefers friends, who choose to do what...

]]>Freedom: the choice to do or not to do, to be or not to be. God wants us to be free, even if that means we are free to choose wrongly; he much prefers friends, who choose to do what is right out of their own freedom, over automatons who do what is right only because they cannot do anything else.

But some people claim that only sinners are free: sinners get to “do what they want”, while holy people have to do what they should. So are sinners the free ones?

Actually, no. While sinners indeed “do what they want”, they are actually controlled by their wants, even enslaved by them. Think of drug addicts, who want the drug so badly that they will do anything: prostitute themselves, rob other people, cheat and lie, to get that drug. Yes, they’re doing “what they want” because they really, really want the drug, but because of that overwhelming want, they’re doing lots of things they don’t really want to do (selling themselves, robbing people, neglecting their responsibilities, hurting those they love). Every sin, especially a habitual sin, is a bit like a drug addiction. Sinners do something they know is wrong, something they don’t really want to do, because they think will give them something they “gotta have”. That’s what sin is all about.

I write “they”, but I really mean “us”, since there is a sinner in every one of us. We feel upset, or we hear something we don’t like, so we indulge our feelings and become outraged, lashing out in anger. We see someone with something we want but don’t have, and we seethe. We want something so badly because of what we think we can enjoy with it that we do what we can to get more and more of it, without regard for others and their needs. We think of something we need to do, something that takes effort, and we don’t feel like putting in the work, so instead of doing it, we indulge our desire for comfort. We are so attached to enjoying the good things of life that we enjoy them in great quantities, far beyond what is needed, to the degree that it is bad for us. We make choices in our relationships and our personal habits that are driven by our private desires, even if they are bad for us and exploitative of others. We love our comforts so much that we fear losing them, and that fear drives our choices. We love the attention of those we seek to impress, so we gossip, saying things that we know can be hurtful and harmful, or we boast, saying things that we know are not really true. We put ourselves above others and treat them badly, to hide our own insecurities, or to save us the trouble and effort of having to pay attention to them and treat them with consideration. I could go on, and no doubt so could you. You know your own sins, I know mine. Ask yourself: do your sins really make you free? Or do they make you a slave to your wants and desires?

Now we might ask: if sin is the thing that takes away freedom, and God gives freedom, what about people in heaven, who are with God? If sinners aren’t free, and holy people are, then people in heaven should be free to do what they want, even bad things, right? But we know they don’t do bad things, since there are no bad things done in heaven, so they must not be free: they must be forced to be good, no?

So are saints in heaven free to do wrong? Well, yes, I suppose in a strictly technical sense they are: they do what is right because they choose to, not because they’re forced to. But they have mastered their wants so that they will not be enslaved by them: they want God most, and all other wants are secondary to God. So, yes, while they could theoretically choose to sin, in the same way as you could, if you really wanted to, rub tar in your hair and then try to stand on your head in a pothole, or chew on a doorknob, or roll up leaves from the sidewalk and put them in your nose, but just as it would never occur to you to do such things, it would never occur to them to commit sins: why would anyone do such crazy, stupid things? But we, sadly, because our wants aren’t properly ordered yet, because our wanting of God doesn’t come first in our lives, our desires are disordered, and so we do disordered things: we sin.

But the saints give us a clue about the cure for sin. The cure for sin and the source of freedom is to be like those saints: wanting God most, above all other things. Once God comes first, everything else falls into place. When we put God first, we won’t choose to do wrong things, because a wrong thing, by its very nature, is a thing in which something other than God is put first. So the way to overcome sin is to seek out Jesus, who loves us and wants to free us from slavery to our own desires. Seek out Jesus, who died to show us how much God loves us. Seek out Jesus, who will always care for us and help us no matter what sins we’ve committed and no matter how stuck and enslaved we are in them. Jesus will give us freedom from sin, he will make us truly free.

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/13/sin-takes-away-freedom-god-makes-us-free/feed/0Admonish sinnershttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/10/admonish-sinners/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/10/admonish-sinners/#respondSun, 10 Sep 2017 11:00:56 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8906Sunday Readings for the 23nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 10 I used to think that God’s law was like those dumb rules we had to put up with in grammar school, like “Thou shalt not chew gum in class.”...

I used to think that God’s law was like those dumb rules we had to put up with in grammar school, like “Thou shalt not chew gum in class.” They are arbitrary laws that bureaucrats came up with to keep them happy and the rest of us miserable. The goal of students is to break such rules whenever they can get away with it. The only bad consequence would be to get caught.

But God is not a bureaucrat. He’s a loving Father. If He says “thou shalt not,” it is because the particular activity in question wounds and, in some cases, destroys the child of God who engages in it. But does not sin offend God? Of course. We are made in his image and likeness, and sin defaces that likeness in us. It also wounds others made in his image and likeness. There is no such thing as private sin–we are so interconnected that every decision to step away from God has incalculable impact on not only the sinner but on the whole family of God.

Some people correct others because they are busybodies. Others, like the Pharisees, do so in order to exalt themselves as they put others down. The disciple, however, intervenes out of love. Love for God, for all his children, but especially for the sinner who is damaged the most by his own sin.

Many people think about God’s law as if it were just arbitrary bureaucratic regulations. They are unaware that their actions are gouging wounds in their hearts and in the hearts of others. But if we know, and we care, we must find a way to tell them. Others don’t know about God and his will–but their actions are still wreaking havoc in their lives and the lives of others. We need to share with them the Good News about the mercy of Christ and the power of the Spirit who makes it possible to follow the will of the Father.

“But,” you may say, “they won’t listen, so why bother?” Simple. Because God says so. Ezekiel the prophet was called to be a watchman for Israel, as noted by this Sunday’s first reading (Ezek 33:7-9). It was his responsibility to let people know whenever their actions were leading to disaster. If he told them and they did not listen, Ezekiel was off the hook. He fulfilled his responsibility, and the consequences were on the heads of those who failed to heed the warning. But if he neglected to warn them out of fear of their disapproval and they ended in disaster, God would hold Ezekiel responsible.

“But,” you may say, “I’m not called to be a prophet.” Oh yes you are! In baptism and confirmation you were anointed priest, prophet, and king. And, if you haven’t noticed, prophets don’t usually win popularity contests.

Of course, if you are prudent and humble and sensitive as you go about this prophetic task, your chances of success will be greater. The Lord Jesus gives us direction about this in this Sunday’s gospel (Matthew 18:15ff): first, go privately to the person and treat him or her like a brother or sister, not like your inferior. If you get nowhere, get another to help you. If you still run into a stone wall, refer the matter to the Church, which in most cases would mean someone in authority such as a pastor or bishop or apostolic delegate.

The bottom line is that we owe a debt of love to our brothers and sisters (Romans 13:8-10). And love does its best to stop a person from walking over a cliff.

Marcellino D’Ambrosio, aka “Dr. Italy,” writes from Texas. Connect with him at dritaly.com or on social media, @DrItaly.

This is offered as a reflection upon the readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, liturgical cycle A (Ezekiel 33:7-9), Psalm 95, Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20). It appears here with the permission of the author.

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/10/admonish-sinners/feed/0Objective Truthhttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/08/8851/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/08/8851/#respondFri, 08 Sep 2017 11:00:00 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8851Why do we care about words like “objective” and “subjective”? This isn’t a grammar site. The words aren’t particularly theological, but they do come into play when talking about our faith. Many people opposed to the faith see it as...

]]>Why do we care about words like “objective” and “subjective”? This isn’t a grammar site. The words aren’t particularly theological, but they do come into play when talking about our faith. Many people opposed to the faith see it as a subjective matter. Your beliefs are true to you, but they’re not true to me. Many opposed to our morals sees them as subjective, as well. Your morals are good for you, but they’re not good for me. Don’t impose your opinions on me.

Further, the Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the term “objective” in several places, including paragraphs 1751, 2109 and 2372. We should know, then, what those words mean.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “objective” originally meant “considered in relation to its object”. In other words, a statement is objective when it has to do with some object out there, with something outside of the person making the statement. “Subjective”, in turn, means that a statement is considered in relation to its subject, to the “I” who is speaking.

If you remember your grade school grammar, these terms might sound familiar. The subject of the sentence is who or what the sentence is about. A subjective statement is based on who is speaking. An object is the person or thing that an action is directed toward, the one receiving the action. An objective statement has to do with the thing you’re talking about — the person or thing out there.

So what does all this mean? When we’re speaking subjectively, we’re making a statement that’s dependent on the speaker, dependent on our thoughts or feelings or beliefs. “It’s too cold today” is a subjective statement, as it depends on who is speaking. It might be true for me, and I would say it. It might be false for you, and you wouldn’t say that. We can disagree about it, because the truth is within each of us.

When we’re speaking objectively, we’re making a statement about something out there – some person, place, thing, or idea outside of ourselves. “The temperature is 70 degrees” is an objective statement; it relates to something outside the speaker’s mind: the temperature of the air. “The pizza hasn’t arrived yet” is also objective. It relates to something outside (hopefully right outside, if you’re hungry!). We shouldn’t disagree about these things, because they don’t depend on our beliefs or feelings. That temperature reading is true or false; it doesn’t matter what I prefer. The pizza has arrived or it hasn’t. I might be wrong, but whether I’m wrong doesn’t depend on me.

What does this have to do with our faith? “Your beliefs are true for you but not for me.” Is that so? Are our beliefs objective or subjective? How about one of the most foundational beliefs: that there is a God. We hold that God exists “out there”–not in a physical place, per se, but at least outside of our own minds. When we say that we believe in God, we mean by “God” something outside of ourselves. The discussion about our belief in God, then, is an objective matter. If God is “out there”, then He’s “out there” for everyone — there’s only one “there”, the world in which we all live. That means that, as a starting point, we should be able to agree that the discussion is objective — that God’s existence is true or false for everyone together. It is not a matter of opinion or belief, at least in the way that we mean “God”.

Next time, we’ll think about relativism and absolutism–another important pair of ideas when sharing our faith!

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/08/8851/feed/0What R U Lookin’ At?http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/06/r-u-lookin/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/06/r-u-lookin/#respondWed, 06 Sep 2017 11:02:49 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8897In the lessons surrounding John the Baptist there are many things that get our immediate attention as well as some things that don’t but should! Let’s fill in the details a bit about John and his ministry. First of all,...

]]>In the lessons surrounding John the Baptist there are many things that get our immediate attention as well as some things that don’t but should! Let’s fill in the details a bit about John and his ministry. First of all, we need to get a sense of the setting he was ministering in. John did his thing in the middle of a very difficult place to reach, in the middle of a wilderness desert where temps reached close to 100º by noon. It was a land of scrubs, dust, and general unpleasantness! Unlike today’s well-curated tourist attractions there were no shaded cabanas, bottled water, or misters for those overcome by the scorching desert heat. No food purveyors supplying tasty chilled snacks.

The crowds who came to see him, despite the unpleasantness, were enormous. From writings of the time, scholars surmise that they often numbered upwards of 5000. In today’s terms that would eclipse record breaking concerts or sports event crowds. He wore weird clothes, smelled funny and ate weird stuff. A lot of people thought he was just plain crazy. The River Jordan was tacky at best, just a spit with murky water. There was nothing existing in the whole scene that was pleasant, inviting, comfortable or easy. There was nothing that made sense to go and seek out. John’s active ministry of Baptizing and preaching lasted about a year before his arrest according to exegetes. The daily crowds included the poorest and the richest, those who were illiterate and the finest scholars of the day! Clearly, there were many who were sure there was nothing to gain amid the craziness. Yet they came.

When we read this story it’s easy to be distracted by the obvious; the weirdness of John, the crazy scene, and crowds, the baptism of God himself. But as they say, the devil’s in the details. After an encounter with John’s disciples, Jesus engages with the crowd who is constantly around him. He makes no comment about the validity and/or style of John’s ministry. However, he poses a thought to the crowd that would render a room full of today’s scholars dumb. Jesus asks the crowd:

“What did you go out to the desert to see?” (Lk7:24)

At this point in your spiritual walk, you might realize a truism of scripture. Any question that Jesus asks is more than likely a question for you too. So, if you were there in the Galilee and part of the pop culture crowd rushing out to see the “new healer”, what would your answer be? Were you there to be a gawker at a safe distance. Where you there because there was nothing else to do? Were you there to feel “normal” while you watched a crazy man do his thing? Were you there to see a “real” miracle? Were you there to see and maybe meet the celebs? Of the many who came, how many were blissfully ignorant that life altering salvation, from God’s own hand, was right in front of them?

In the present, what do you go out of your way to see? The root of Jesus’ question had nothing to do with the oddness of John’s ministry. In truth, this was a question that purposely challenged each person who heard it. Jesus himself identified John as greater than himself, God’s voice of one crying in the wilderness preparing the way. So what was the motive for the gawkers at John? Were they people convinced somewhere in their soul that this was something holy happening or were they content with an outing for a day and no thoughts about how John’s ministry was impacting anything? No recognition that God was doing something earth shattering here.

What are you looking at? As you travel through life do you recognize those moments when God hands you grace or forgiveness or blessing or love? Do you dismiss situations or circumstances that are out of the ordinary, amusements or something to merely occupy your time as you observe passively? Do you purposely go to places or situations where you won’t have to think or be bothered? It’s all a matter of perspective but make no mistake. When God presents you with his biggest blessings or greatest challenges to grow it will most likely be out of the ordinary! What did you go out to see? What RU lookin’ at?

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/06/r-u-lookin/feed/0Sunday Mass in Galilee in Jesus’ languagehttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/05/sunday-mass-in-galilee-in-jesus-language/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/05/sunday-mass-in-galilee-in-jesus-language/#commentsTue, 05 Sep 2017 11:00:31 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8878An entry in my travel journal describes one Sunday in Galilee in 1988 on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by John Michael Talbot. As it does now, the world churned in turmoil with war surrounding the holy sites....

]]>An entry in my travel journal describes one Sunday in Galilee in 1988 on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by John Michael Talbot. As it does now, the world churned in turmoil with war surrounding the holy sites. This is the first of two holy events that Sunday.

Sunday, March 20, 1988, was a day of connecting to the Christians in the Holy Land and to the Lord. On our way to Mass with the local Christians of Ibillin, in Galilee, we saw our first signs of war: armed khaki-clad street soldiers and transport vehicles full of soldiers. Something we have never had to bear. Among the many olive trees stood burnt out houses, some abandoned and some occupied.

The Gandhi of Galile

Father Elias Chacour said Mass at St. George Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Some know Fr. Chacour as the Gandhi of Galilee because he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. This self-proclaimed Christian pacifist speaks out in a non-violent way, urging the living of the Beatitudes. He built a school to teach the children the way of the Beatitudes to bring lasting peace to his country. He wrote, “Blood Brothers” a story of the relationship between the Jews that returned to their homeland as refugees during the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Palestinians who housed and cared for them.

What a contrast between the military presence among the desolate buildings and this pacifist priest celebrating Mass with total confidence in God’s sovereignty

The church holds about 200 people. That day more than 300 crowded in and around the pews, many of us from visiting groups. It reminded me of Christmas Masses crowded with unfamiliar faces.

The men and boys sat in front and the girls and women in the back of the church. All during the service, the men kept bringing in chairs—as we sometimes do at prayer meetings or Midnight Mass. It was raining, and some chunks of plaster fell down on the chairs behind some of the women a few rows in front of us, splattering plaster on their heads.

Ceiling fans and mismatched antique chandeliers decorated the church. The artwork resembled Greek Orthodox except for a striking contemporary depiction of an angel knocking Paul off his horse. This image could hang appropriately in most churches in our country.

The native language of Jesus

The music and native language (with English and French translations) were the closest possible today to that of Jesus’ time—Aramaic and Arabic with a few Greek responses such as the “Kyrie Eleison.” Hearing the Mass in Jesus’ native Aramaic touched the depths of my heart as I imagined him saying many of the prayers, especially the consecration of the bread and wine into his Body and Blood.

Fr. Chacour’s talk before Mass was in English, his homily in Arabic, English and then French. He reminded us that to God a thousand years is like one day. “Day before yesterday it all started in Galilee. Jesus came to Galilee from Jerusalem. Those from Galilee spread the word to all the world, as witnessed by so many nations represented here at Mass.”

We celebrated what happened at the Resurrection—no more Jew, Palestinian, man or woman, all called as adopted children of God, to whom we will answer.

The clean white paper

Fr. Chacour told the story of a clean white paper among the colored paper and pens. That white paper was so proud of his clean appearance that the colored pens and paper were threatened by his boasting. He remained clean and white and empty. Then Fr. Chacour said, “The Lord will not ask, ‘How long did you keep your hands clean?’ but ‘How often did you dirty your hands to serve?’ Be a little stone in the beautiful castle of the Kingdom of God. Share our confusion, our fear and our life.” I thought how stones are solid, steady, persevering, united to other stones for strength to bear a common load.

The unleavened bread soaked in wine, taken on the tongue or a spoon, gave us a new communion experience. The crowded aisles meant lack of order in receiving Communion as we made our way to the altar and back again.

The parishioners took home the extra bread, distributed at one of the exits after Mass. How quaint? How practical! The privileged poor took bread home as though Jesus had multiplied it to provide for those who need it. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Jesus with us

Jesus came to us that day in the mystery of the Eucharist, in the murmur of our lips worshipping him, responding to prayers said in his native tongue. He soothed the aching in our hearts to join as one with him and Christians of Galilee and all nations, ready to dirty our hands to serve.

Today’s news is tragic for Christians in the Middle East, and I pray for them and for those in Ibillin, who suffer still.
Can you imagine hearing the words of the Mass in Jesus’ native language? Can you unite your prayers with the suffering of persecuted Christians?

Can you imagine hearing the words of the Mass in Jesus’ native language in Galilee? Can you unite your prayers with the suffering of persecuted Christians?

Continued next month with “Sunday in Galilee: Calming the storm at sea.”

]]>http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/05/sunday-mass-in-galilee-in-jesus-language/feed/1Desolation in Ministry: Jonah’s Storyhttp://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/04/desolation-ministry-jonahs-story/
http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2017/09/04/desolation-ministry-jonahs-story/#respondMon, 04 Sep 2017 12:36:20 +0000http://newevangelizers.com/?p=8893That feeling of dread, regret, or resignation. Not wanting to step into your parish office. Wishing you’d never taken on that new volunteer position. Wanting this year of RCIA to be over because you don’t even want to see the...

]]>That feeling of dread, regret, or resignation. Not wanting to step into your parish office. Wishing you’d never taken on that new volunteer position. Wanting this year of RCIA to be over because you don’t even want to see the other team members. What does it mean when ministry becomes the setting for feelings of desolation?Where is God leading me in times when problems seem overwhelming and suffering seems far from redemptive?

Job often comes to mind as a Biblical portrait of suffering and persistence. Yet, Job’s situation is very different from most of ours in specific ministry settings. See, God puts Job through a trial of extreme crises in faith and life–questions of survival of everything and everyone Job knows and loves. Job does nothing to bring this on himself. For many in ministry (whether paid, volunteer, ordained, or non-ordained) our particular way of living out the call to missionary discipleship is something we’ve discerned and chosen. Something we’ve stepped out to do.

This brings us to a different Old Testament character, Jonah. Jonah is a missionary prophet. He’s actively stepping out to do God’s work. While Jonah does face a crisis, it’s not one of basic human needs and longings, but of if he’s going to listen to God’s words for him and how Jonah should fulfill the call God has placed in his life.

When we think, maybe I’m just not where God called me to be, we’re in a place to enter into Jonah’s story more deeply, to see where we might persevere or change in order to serve God in the way He desires of us.

Diving into the Bible, we first meet Jonah with the narrator’s declaration, “The word of the LORD came to Jonah” (Jonah 1:1). Notice the passiveness of Jonah. His patient, receptive posture. Jonah was listening. And we find out in verse 2, that he hears God’s communication clearly. Jonah’s not acting on divine silence, nor guessing in absence of communication or answered prayer.

Maybe when we experience desolation in our ministry, it’s because we never heard the word of the Lord as Jonah did. Maybe our good intentions were charitable, but not what God willed for us, personally.

But Jonah, he’s not falling into that trap in his ministry. He hears God, yet he decides to resist. He “made ready” for a new, impromptu plan of “fleeing” away from the city and ministry God had called him to (1:3-4). Jonah is being reactive; there’s seemingly no purpose to his actions other than trying to be “away from the Lord.”

Jonah takes flight on a boat and a storm comes. In this dangerous situation, the boat’s captain comes to Jonah (1:6). Jonah’s qualities and calling in ministry can’t be ignored–even if he’s choosing to turn away from what God has equipped and called him to. Jonah is immediately aware of what he has done (1:12). And this isn’t shocking–remember, Jonah heard God, Jonah knew what God wanted of him. Jonah acknowledges what he has done, how he fled from God’s true desire for him. Oh how we yearn for this clarity ourselves in problematic ministry situations! In times of desolation, we can say “yes, Lord–I’m ready to repent,” yet not have the slightest idea what God had wanted us to be doing in the first place.

How does God respond to Jonah? He sends “a great fish to swallow Jonah” (2:1). This is active voice, God is acting directly in Jonah’s life, creating a space for temporary hardship, challenge, and (if Jonah’s anything like us moderns!) forced introspection (I mean, it’s not like there was reading material in the fish’s internal organs). Early allegorical interpretations of this passage suggested that this time of darkness and testing represented Israel’s exile. Later, Christian allegorical interpretations (spurred by the Gospels themselves, i.e. Matt 12:38–42 and 16:1–4) offer Jesus’ three days in the tomb as a parallel. Yet, the original sense of the passage in and of itself–without any allegory–is very relevant to each of us when we experience problems in ministry. As Walter Brueggemann writes:

It is enough to see the ‘fish’ as a vehicle whereby Jonah is put deeply at risk to the power of chaos (the sea), and is rescued by the power of the Creator (who presides over chaos) through the creature, the fish. Thus the rescue of Jonah is also a demonstration of the power of the Creator who will not have the mission of the prophet thwarted (Introduction to the Old Testament, 231).

The second time God speaks to Jonah, he listens. He acts “in accord” with God, not fighting, going against the grain, or avoiding what he heard from the Lord (3:1). God’s will is done, God’s heart is full as His mercy is extended to the people of Ninevah who turn to the Lord. Jonah has had “success” in his ministry, but still he is not where God wants him to be in his heart and soul. We can find ourselves in these places too–doing the successful thing in ministry, even seeing fruit, yet not truly living the life God has called us to. There’s external fruit, yes–praise the Lord!–but still not the interior conversion God desires of us.

The Lord teaches Jonah this in the final chapter of the book. Here we find Jonah outside the city of Ninevah, sulking about how he knew all along of God’s merciful character, and it was that knowledge that drove him to flee, so that he’d avoid this “awful” predicament he’s in right now. The narrator hints that Jonah is still holding out some “hope” that the mercy extended by God to Ninevah might change, as Jonah builds a dwelling to “to see what would happen to the city” (4:5). As one might guess, it’s pretty hot and sunny out in the desert, so Jonah’s quite happy about a nice shady gourd plant that grows up by his new home (4:6). But then God takes the plant away, and Jonah finally gets it. It’s not about him. It’s not about us when it comes to ministry.

We need to discern and listen where is it God is calling us to, and what it is God wants us to do. We can grow attached to a certain vision of how, when, and where will will serve–but ultimately it’s all a gift from God. A particular ministry or belief isn’t ours to cling to any more than the gourd tree was Jonah’s “possession” when God shows us otherwise. God’s concern is far broader than ours! And, even if we don’t fully understand it in every moment, God’s gracious love for all includes each of us. Always. In every moment.

In the end, through Jonah we see that God’s will is not simply what’s convenient for us, or what we already happen to believe (or want to believe) about the mission field around it. God’s will for us might include people we’ve never thought of before. God’s will might be something more precise or focused than what we currently dream of. Each of us can only know when we begin as Jonah did: hearing the word of the Lord.